Tag Archives: Academy of American Poets

The Central Pen Literary E-zine and The Academy of American Poets is proud to present the 2016 Poetry Contest! All current Central Penn College students are invited to participate. The first place winner will receive a $100 prize, a one-year subscription to the Academy of American Poets, and publication in the e-zine. Second place will receive $50 and publication in the e-zine. Third place will receive $25 and publication in the e-zine. Submit to TheCentralPen@centralpenn.edu before April 29, 2016 to be considered!

I feel the hatred. Not because I’m a ghost, but because I’m a friendly one

Now isn’t that fun? I’m weightless but I feel like I weigh a ton

Like an automaton, an android, a robot

Feel like the world relies on me to save it, like an Autobot

I can now see through my eyelids, so I don’t sleep a wink

Surprised with the lack of sleep that I’m not a psychofink

Why bother try to sleep? It’s irrelevant to me now

I forgot the ability to sleep, so I don’t know how

If you were in my shoes would you feel the same way?

Probably not since I’m a ghost so I don’t wear them anyway

I’m just a shadowy figure lingering in the dark

Trying to make people see me to make my mark

People perform séances just to talk to me

And they always think my services are for free

Because I’m a friendly ghost, but I’m not Casper,

But I’m never happy so I’m not gay, like Family Guy’s Jasper

I can say whatever I want because who listens to what I say?

People noticing I exist? That’ll be the day

I’ll disappear forever into the shadows where I belong

Consumed by hatred and darkness, I knew it all along.

Dezmyn Edmond is an accounting major from Toms River, NJ who enjoys writing and performing. He is an active member of the Knight Writers Creative Writing Club and gave a moving reading of their prize winning poems at the Knight Writer’s “Take a Stand” event in June..

Let us not forget the whips that were cracked against our brother’s bare black skin

The flesh that has been torn open at the expense

Of us

The generation that would save us all

Because after all we are the future.

But yet we are a disgrace in the eyes of our ancestors.

Can you picture it?

Emmett till spitting out our names in shame

Harriet Tubman turning her face disowning us.

Martin Luther king pulling the “I have a dream speech” from underneath our muddy undeserving feet.

Can you see it?

We are being stripped of our culture the more we embrace this city that’s not of brotherly love

But a city filled with brothers that embrace self hate.

Philadelphia native, Ayana Addison has been writing poetry for years and studied under JusGreg (aka Greg Corbin,) the award-winning spoken word artist and teacher from HBO’s Brave New Voices. She is an active member of the Knight Writers Creative Writing Club. “#Rep your city” won second prize in Central Penn College’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest in 2015 sponsored by the Academy of American Poets.

Roman Alcazar is a Corporate Communications major with a background in radio. He’s also a proud dad-to-be. “Reception of Conception” won first prize in Central Penn College’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest in 2015 sponsored by the Academy of American Poets.

This spring The Central Pen Literary E-zine hosted its 6th Annual Poetry Competition. This annual writing contest is sponsored by The Academy of American Poets, a national organization whose chancellor is Juan Felipe Herrera, the Poet Laureate of the United States. The first place winner received $100.00 and a year’s membership into the Academy.

The winners were:

1st Place: Roman Alcazar for Reception of Conception

2nd Place: Ayana Addisonfor Rep My City

3rd Place: Dezmyn Edmond for Apparition

First place winner Roman Alcazar is a Corporate Communications major with a background in radio. He’s also a proud dad-to-be. Philadelphia native, Ayana Addison has been writing poetry for years and studied under JusGreg (aka Greg Corbin,) the award-winning spoken word artist and teacher from HBO’s Brave New Voices. Dezmyn Edmond is an accounting major from Toms River, NJ who enjoys writing and performing. Both Ayana and Dezmyn are active members of the Knight Writers Creative Writing Club. Roman and Dezmyn gave moving readings of their prize winning poems at the Knight Writer’s “Take a Stand” event in June. The contest is coordinated by Professor Maria Thiaw and the judges are literary enthusiasts and poets from the Central Penn College and community.

After a record-setting year for submissions, The Central Pen E-zine is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s poetry contest sponsored by The Central Pen and the American Academy of Poets. These poets impressed the judges ‘brutal honesty, ’’captivating’ images, ‘use of allusions,’ ‘playful word choice,’ and ‘use of dialect.’

First Place: “I am” by Jade Harper
Second Place: “Changes” by Isaiah Isley
Third Place: “Nerd Music” by Dezmyn Edmond

In addition to their prizes, all of our poets will be featured in here on the blog in the upcoming months!

A special thank you our judges Professors Thomas Davis and Matthew Vickless, Writing Center Director Dalton James, and Student Activities Coordinator Danielle Klebes all of whom had a difficult job this year determining the winners.

What would your favorite word look like? Smell like? Taste like? Feel like? Who would it invite to lunch? Would it be talkative or quiet? Where would it go?

Where is the last place you felt safe? Who was there? Who wasn’t there? What did it look like? Was it a physical space? Mental? Emotional? Spiritual?

When did you first fall in love with writing? How young were you? How old were you? What inspired you then? What inspires you now? Did someone or something help you discover your inner author?

What does spring taste like? Is it earthy or fresh? Is it smooth or gritty? What does it feel like on your teeth, gums, and tongue? What would happen if you swallowed it?

How would you describe yourself using sounds? Are you loud like BOOM? Are you smooth like swoosh? Do you clomp or swish when you move? Are your dreams like plink or pow?

What place symbolizes your childhood? What does it look like? Smell like? Taste like? Feel like? Would you go back? Would you live there? Are you still living there?

What is your favorite memory from the past year? Who was there to share it? Who wasn’t? What did it feel like? What did it look like? How did it change you?

What is sitting next to you? Why is it there? Is it important? Useless? Is it something you would like to share with someone? Is it something you want to keep private?

Who do you wish you were talking to right now? What do they look like? Why are they important? Could you talk to them if you wanted? Would they want to talk to you?

How would you describe home using only tastes? Is it a hot meal? Is it dessert? Is it something you want to eat as a snack or as a dinner? Is it something you want to eat all the time or not very often? How would it feel if you swallowed it?

To celebrate April as National Poetry Month, The Central Pen will be having a written poetry contest open to all current students!

1st place winner will receive $100, 1 year free membership to The Academy of American Poets, and publication in The Central Pen.

2nd place winner will receive $50 and publication in The Central Pen.

3rd place winner will receive $25 and publication in The Central Pen.

To submit, please send an email with a subject line of your Last Name_Poetry Contest to MelissaWehler@centralpenn.edu. In the email, please include your name, address, phone number, and the email address with one original poem as an attachment. Do not include your name on the poem itself.

All poems due no later than April 25, 2014. Winners will be noticed by May 15, 2014.